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TESTAMENT: Episode 1.1

"“A Worthy Retelling of the New Testament”"

Family Content: +2 Moderately questionable elements.
Entertainment Quality:
NoneLightModerateHeavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

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What You Need To Know:

TESTAMENT is a limited drama series on Angel Studios that reimagines the BOOK OF ACTS in a modern-day dystopian setting. After encountering the Holy Spirit, British teenager Stephen joins the Apostles in their mission to spread the wisdom of Jesus across the city. This recent influx of new believers sends the Roman politicians into a panic. In retaliation, the Empire begins to arrest these followers on the false charge of religious heresy. Can the Apostles weather the storm? 

The first episode of TESTAMENT is an excellent adaptation of the BOO OF ACTS. It offers an excellent showcase of Christian values such as preaching the Gospel, performing baptisms, and developing deep friendships. There is no objectionable content, but there is light violence where Roman soldiers berate and abuse Christians. The writing, direction, camerawork, and acting by the principal actors are excellent. However, the acting by the supporting actors is a bit wooden. Also, the first episode suffers from weird editing. Certain cuts between scenes feel forced, and some sequences feel like they should last longer. MOVIEGUIDE® commends TESTAMENT to families with older children. 

Content:

(CCC, BBB, V, DD, M): 

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:
  Very strong Christian, biblical worldview of the BOOK OF ACTS in a modern dystopian setting where the Apostles preach the Gospel of Jesus to hundreds of Roman citizens, the heroes baptize a dozen men and women into the faith, the main character develops a strong brotherly bond with his neighbors, the protagonist transports a disabled homeless man to his destiny, the same homeless man experiences a miracle of being able to walk again, a Roman officer begins having doubts over his position in the government, and the heroes remain vigilant despite the oppressive Roman government;

Foul Language:
  No foul language;

Violence:
  Light realistic violence throughout, but no blood or gore, the Holy Spirit spreads a violent wind through the protagonist’s dining room, a Roman peacekeeper shoves the protagonist to the ground for disobeying curfew, a legion of Roman officers practice using their police combat batons at a gym, and a squad of officers overpower a man and arrest him on the false charge of heresy;

Sex:
  No sex;

Nudity:
  No nudity;

Alcohol Use:
  No onscreen alcohol consumption, but a brief shot of the Apostles at a table with holy wine and bread;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:
  No tobacco smoking, but a disabled homeless man takes a “stimulant” pill on the street; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:
  A mother betrays her son to the Roman police, the Romans spy on the Apostles regarding their next public meeting, the Roman government leaves a disabled homeless man on the streets, and Roman bodyguards force a homeless boy to sleep on the streets past curfew. 

More Detail:

TESTAMENT is a limited drama series by Angel Studios that reimagines the Book of Acts in a modern dystopian setting. After encountering the Holy Spirit, British teenager Stephen (Charles Beaven) joins the Apostles in their mission to spread the wisdom of Jesus across the city. This recent influx of new believers sends the Roman politicians into a panic. In retaliation, the Imperials begin to arrest these followers on the false charge of religious heresy. Can the Apostles weather the storm? 

 

Unlike other adaptations of the Bible, TESTAMENT takes place in a modern alternate history version of the United Kingdom. The characters use modern fashion and technology of the 21st century but live inside a metropolis ruled by the Roman Empire. The city is overrun with homeless people and destitute living conditions. The Roman centurions use high tech spears and modern armor to keep the peace. TESTAMENT is heavily inspired by the “grimy” aesthetics seen in THE HUNGER GAMES film series. 

 

In Episode One, “Something Old,” the Apostles have begun converting hundreds of people to the side of Christianity. Stephen (Charles Beaven), a reckless yet good-hearted teenager, witnesses the Holy Spirit flow through his house. Despite stern warnings from his mother, Stephen joins the Apostles and agrees to meet with them at their next meeting. 

 

Meanwhile, Roman Lieutenant Saul (Eben Figueiredo) and his Imperial superiors have gone on high alert regarding the rise of Christianity. With the Apostles’ message that “Jesus is the King of Kings,” the Romans fear their authority will soon be undermined. Wanting to get a promotion, Saul volunteers to oversee an investigation. However, the Roman elders hatch a new plan. They plan to catch the Christians by surprise and arrest them for religious heresy against the Empire. Can Stephen and the Apostles survive this persecution? 

 

The premiere episode of TESTAMENT is excellent. The directing, lighting, and grounded camerawork are all solid. The show doesn’t have a large budget but makes great use of real locations in the United Kingdom. The series also does a great job portraying the “oppressive” atmosphere in this dystopian version of the UK. Each location feels rundown and lived in, lending a sense of immersion for the viewer. 

 

The least surprising thing about TESTAMENT is its overt Christian worldview. The Apostles openly preach the resurrection of Jesus, engage in deep prayer, and perform baptisms at a community pool. Stephen, the teenage protagonist, helps a disabled homeless man twice. Stephen gives the man a ride to his destiny via a hand-truck. Moreover, Stephen develops a close friendship with the Apostles. He later defies his mother’s authority in order to serve the Lord’s cause. However, he brushes up against some violent resistance. 

 

In terms of objectionable content, TESTAMENT has no blood, gore or foul language. However, there is brief realistic violence. During the night, the protagonist breaks his curfew and risks getting violently reprimanded by Roman guards. In another scene, Roman soldiers practice thrusting their police batons at an academy. At the end of the episode, the Romans tackle a homeless man for witnessing “God’s miracle” and arrest him for heresy. Lastly, a homeless man is briefly seen taking painkillers on the street. However, this is not the show’s biggest sin. 

 

The biggest blemish towards TESTAMENT is some wooden acting and questionable editing choices. The actors for the Apostles and Stephen are talented, but every other actor feels like they were hired on the spot without a proper audition. The non-Apostle actors are stiff and unconvincing. The first episode simultaneously feels like a pristine Hulu series and a low-budget college play filled with freshmen actors and props. Lastly, the first episode suffers from weird editing choices. Certain cuts between scenes feel forced and some sequences feel like they don’t last long enough. TESTAMENT is just shy of a four star rating from MOVIEGUIDE®. 

 

That said, the first episode of TESTAMENT is an excellent adaptation of the BOOK OF ACTS in the New Testament. It offers an excellent showcase of Christian values such as preaching the Gospel, performing baptisms, and developing deep friendships. There is no profanity or gore, but there is some light violence where the Roman soldiers berate and arrest Christians. MOVIEGUIDE® commends this faith-based series to families with older children.

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Watch TESTAMENT: Episode 1.1 →
Quality: - Content: +2

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Watch TESTAMENT: Episode 1.1 →
Quality: - Content: +2